Real Madrid will look to return to winning ways when they host Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday night.
Real Madrid did have a promising start, but things have gone downhill of late. As a result, they will be eager to set the record straight when they host Villarreal, who headed into the break with a lot of momentum on their side.
Los Blancos are already six points behind leaders Barcelona. They are currently fourth on the table with five wins and two defeats in their seven outings. More importantly, they lost 2-1 to Atletico Madrid in the Madrid derby heading into the break.
After that defeat, there has been a lot of drama surrounding the club and the players, but Mourinho will hope all of it can be put to bed with a solid display at home against Villarreal. The Yellow Submarine are currently ninth on the table with eight points in their seven outing.
Inigo Perez’s men started the campaign with back-to-back draws but then went on to lose three in a row. However, Villarreal did turn things around and won consecutive games heading into the break.
3-1 wins over Malaga and Levante will certainly give them confidence, and since Real Madrid are heading into this fixture on the back of a defeat, Villarreal could push hard for an upset. However, defeating the team in white at the Bernabeu is easier said than done. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Despite picking up knee injuries during the break, Kylian Mbappe and Ibrahima Konate are both expected to be available to start. However, Real Madrid do remain without the services of Eder Militao (muscle), Rodrygo (knee), Raul Asencio (leg), and Ferland Mendy (hip). Dean Huijsen is suspended, while Federico Valverde is a major doubt because of the ankle injury he suffered in the derby.
Real Madrid are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Thibaut Courtois starting between the sticks. Denzel Dumfries and Alvaro Carreras should occupy the full-back positions, while Ibrahima Konate is likely to line up alongside Antonio Rudiger in central defence.
As for the midfield unit, Aurelien Tchouameni and Bernardo Silva are expected to form the double pivot in the centre of the pitch. The duo will look to protect the backline, retain possession and help dictate the tempo of the game.
Arda Guler and Vinicius Junior will feature on the flanks. While Vinicius will look to stretch the opposition and run in behind, Guler will play more like a deep-lying playmaker, who will slowly move upfield to link with the other forwards. Jude Bellingham is likely to operate in the number ten role behind Kylian Mbappe, who will lead the line for Los Blancos.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Dumfries, Konate, Rudiger, Carreras; Tchouameni, Bernardo; Guler, Bellingham, Vinicius Junior; Mbappe
Tajon Buchanan (hamstring) remains on the sidelines, but apart from him, everyone else is available for selection. Villarreal are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Real Madrid, with Peter Gulacsi starting between the sticks. Santiago Mourino and Sergi Cardona should feature as the full-backs, while Pau Navarro is likely to pair up with Renato Veiga at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Santi Comesana and Pape Gueye are expected to form the double pivot in the middle of the park. The duo will look to protect the backline, win possession and help Villarreal build attacks from deep.
Ilias Akhomach and Nicolas Pepe should operate on the flanks, using their pace and dribbling ability to stretch the opposition defence. Alberto Moleiro is likely to feature in the number ten role behind Georges Mikautadze, who will lead the line for the visitors.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Gulacsi; Mourino, Navarro, Veiga, Cardona; Comesana, Gueye; Akhomach, Moleiro, Pepe; Mikautadze
The 26-year-old Real Madrid star has come under considerable criticism since the start of the season for several reasons, with his form being a major concern. He has scored just once in seven La Liga appearances, while his overall performances have fallen well short of the level he was producing 18 months ago.
His lack of confidence is becoming increasingly evident, but a player of his quality should be capable of turning things around. He will be hoping to use the international break as an opportunity to reset and return in better form. A strong performance in this fixture could provide the perfect confidence boost ahead of the Clasico in a few weeks.
Real Madrid will be desperate to bounce back after their derby defeat to Atletico Madrid and cannot afford to drop more points with Barcelona already opening up a six-point lead. Jose Mourinho’s side have been prolific in front of goal at the Bernabeu and should create plenty of chances against a Villarreal defence that has struggled to keep clean sheets.
Meanwhile, the visitors head into this fixture with confidence after securing back-to-back wins before the international break. They have shown enough attacking quality to trouble Real Madrid, particularly against a side that has struggled defensively in recent weeks.
However, their poor record at the Bernabeu and ongoing defensive issues could prove costly. The visitors should get on the scoresheet, but Los Blancos have enough quality to secure a much-needed victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 4-1 win for the team in white.
